Preparing student athletes for life, Beverly HS coach returns from cancer treatment

BEVERLY, Mass. — For more than two months, Beverly High School teacher and assistant lacrosse coach Ben Goodhue has been fighting stage 4 brain cancer, but now he’s back on the field and inspiring his students.

After being diagnosed in early January, Goodhue had to take a leave of absence from school, but students said they knew he’d be back.

"If he was the one person who could do it, it'd be him so it's good to see it,” senior lacrosse player Kevin Flaherty said.

The chemo and radiation treatments are done for now, and things are looking up for the beloved coach.

"They were very optimistic about my full recovery based on my blood work, it's been off the charts,” he said.

The positive prognosis means Goodhue can go back to work part-time.

"To go back and be able to teach has been awesome,” he said. "The coaching is just the cherry, you know, the cherry on the top.”

Goodhue wasn’t at practice Tuesday afternoon, but it gave his colleagues and the student athletes a chance to testify to his legacy.

"What a role model, a guy that's able to go through something like that and able to lead by example of not giving up and just having that strength,” head lacrosse coach Jim LaSelva said.

Goodhue’s role now has changed after all he’s been through. Now instead of preparing the teens for game day, he’s helping them prepare for life.

"It's not all that bad sometimes, someone didn't like your tweet or favor something, meanwhile, we have bigger things to worry about, real life things, so it's great having Ben,” LaSelva said.

The main lesson has been that of determination.

"We were running sprints and Coach Goodhue was standing over there and we were tired, but there was no way we could dog it in front of him because it's like, if he's out here battling cancer and we're just healthy 18-year-old kids, there's no way we shouldn't be going all out,” senior lacrosse player Kyle Chouinard said.

Goodhue said he’s hoping his students and players will learn from him, and for that, he says his diagnosis was worth it.

"It's something I can take forever in my teaching career, my coaching career, and say look despite any adversity you'll ever face, I'm living proof that no matter how big the challenge might be, you can overcome it,” he said.

Cox Media Group